Cap and container

ABSTRACT

A container and cap assembly has a container and a cap. The cap covers the container, and has an inner cover, a piston, a slider, and an outer cover. The piston is disposed in the inner cover, and is axially movable therein. The slider is mounted on the piston, and is radially movable to move the piston. The outer cover receives the inner cover, the piston, and the slider. The outer cover is rotated in a first direction to close the container, and is continuously rotated in the first direction to move the slider radially and reciprocatingly so as to move the piston axially and reciprocatingly. The piston is moved to exhaust air from the container to produce a vacuum or approximate vacuum in the container. Therefore, contents in the container are protected from moisture without a desiccant material.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a container and cap assembly, and more particularly to a container and cap assembly that effectively and reusably protects the contents thereof from moisture.

BACKGROUND

A container and cap assembly is configured to store contents, such as drugs, cosmetics etc., and protects the contents from dust and dirt. A conventional container and cap assembly comprises a container and a cap. The container includes a neck having external threads. The cap includes a cylindrical side wall having internal threads for mating with the external threads of the neck of the container. A desiccant material is disposed within the container to absorb moisture therein to protect the contents thereof from moisture. However, the desiccant material is not reusable. The desiccant material loses effectiveness as it becomes full of moisture over time. A user need to periodically change the desiccant material when it starts to lose its effectiveness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container and cap assembly.

FIG. 2 is a top exploded perspective view of the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom exploded perspective view of the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the container and cap assembly taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are cross-sectional side views of the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1, showing air flow from a container.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are top schematic views of the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1, showing an outer cover being rotated clockwise to exhaust air from the container.

FIG. 9 is a top schematic view of the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1, showing the outer cover being rotated counterclockwise to allow air to flow into the container.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram for producing a vacuum or an approximate vacuum in the container and cap assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. In addition, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” exemplary embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same exemplary embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”

The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like.

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a container and cap assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a container 10 and a cap 20.

The container 10 includes a neck 11 having external threads 111.

The cap 20 closes the container 10, and includes an inner cover 21, a piston 22, a first valve 23, a second valve 23 a, a slider 24, an indicator 25, an air filter disc 26, a sealing ring 27, and an outer cover 28.

The inner cover 21 has a cylindrical outer wall 211, a cylindrical inner wall 212, a shaft tube 213, an annular top wall 214, an annular bottom wall 215, at least one pair of recesses 216, and an inner chamber 217. The outer wall 211 has internal threads 2111 for mating with the external threads 111 of the neck 11 of the container 10. The inner wall 212 is disposed within the outer wall 211. The shaft tube 213 is disposed within the inner wall 212, communicates with an interior of the container 10, and has a top opening 2131 and a bottom opening 2132. The top wall 214 closes a top end between the outer wall 211 and the inner wall 212. The bottom wall 214 closes a bottom end between the inner wall 212 and the shaft tube 213, and has a plurality of first vent holes 2141. The at least one pair of recesses 216 are formed in the top wall 214 in spaced relationship, and two recesses 216 of each pair are opposite to each other. Preferably, the inner cover 21 has two pairs of recesses 216. The inner chamber 217 is defined between the inner wall 212, the bottom wall 214, and the shaft tube 216.

The piston 22 is disposed in the inner chamber 217 of the inner cover 21, is axially movable therein, and has an annular plug 221, a sleeve 222, and two protrusions 223. The plug 221 has a plurality of second vent holes 2211. A periphery of the plug 221 abuts the inner wall 212 of the inner cover 21. The sleeve 222 extends upward from a center of the plug 221, and is disposed around the shaft tube 213 of the inner cover 21. An inner surface of a bottom of the sleeve 222 abuts an outer surface of the shaft tube 213 of the inner cover 21. The two protrusions 223 extend from an outer surface of the sleeve 222, and are opposite to each other.

The first valve 23 is movably mounted on the bottom wall 214 of the inner cover 21 to be able to close the first vent holes 2141 of the bottom wall 214. The second valve 23 a is movably mounted on the plug 221 of the piston 22 to be able to close the second vent holes 2211 of the plug 221. The first valve 23 and the second valve 23 a are conventional and thus a description thereof will be omitted.

The slider 24 is mounted on the piston 22, is radially movable to move the piston 22, and has a body 241, a bore 242, two guide slots 243, two wings 244, and two pawls 245. The body 241 has a center, a front side, a rear side, and two lateral sides. The bore 242 is formed in the center of the body 241. A lateral diameter of the bore 242 is greater than an outer diameter of the sleeve 222 of the piston 22. The two guide slots 243 are formed in the front and rear sides of the body 241 respectively, are inclined to the horizontal, and communicate with the bore 242. The bore 242 receives the sleeve 222 of the piston 22, and the guide slots 243 receives the protrusions 223 of the piston 22. The two wings 244 extend from middle portions of the lateral sides of the body 241 respectively, and are disposed in the two recesses 216 of each pair of recesses 216 respectively. The two pawls 245 extend from upper portions of the lateral sides of the body 241 respectively.

The indicator 25 closes the top opening 2131 of the shaft tube 213 of the inner cover 21. The indicator 25 has a flexible surface 251 that is able to pop up and down depending on whether the air in the container 10 is exhausted or not. The flexible surface 251 of the indicator 25 pops up to indicate that the air in the container 10 is not exhausted as shown in FIG. 4. The flexible surface 251 of the indicator 25 pops down to indicate that the air in the container 10 is exhausted as shown in FIG. 6.

The air filter disc 26 closes the bottom opening 2132 of the shaft tube 213 of the inner cover 21.

The sealing ring 27 is mounted on a bottom surface of the top wall 214 of the inner cover 21 for abutting the neck 11 of the container 10.

The outer cover 28 covers the inner cover 21, and has a cylindrical wall 281, a top wall 282, a flange 283, ratchet teeth 284, and an outer chamber 285. The top wall 282 closes a top end of the cylindrical wall 281, and has a center hole 2821 aligning with the top opening 2131 of the shaft tube 213 of the inner cover 21. The flange 283 extend inward from a bottom of the cylindrical wall 281. The ratchet teeth 284 extend from a periphery of a bottom surface of the top wall 282 in spaced relationship. The outer chamber 285 is defined between the cylindrical wall 281, the top wall 282, and the flange 283. The outer chamber 285 receives the inner cover 21, the piston 22, the first valve 23, the second valve 23 a, the slider 24, and the sealing ring 27, such that the ratchet teeth 284 selectively engage the pawls 245 of the slider 24, and the indicator 25 is disposed within the center hole 2821 of the top wall 282.

The outer cover 28 is pressed down and is rotated in a first direction to screw the cap 20 on the neck 11 of the container 10. The outer cover 28 is then released from being pressed and is continuously rotated in the first direction to cause the ratchet teeth 284 to push the pawls 245 of the slider 24, such that the slider 24 is moved radially and reciprocatingly, and the piston 22 is moved axially and reciprocatingly. The outer cover 28 is rotated in a second direction to cause the ratchet teeth 284 to engage the pawls 245 of the slider 24 so as to unscrew the cap 20 from the neck 11 of the container 10, such that the slider 24 is not moved radially, and the piston 22 is not moved axially. In a preferred embodiment, the outer cover 28 is rotated clockwise to close the container 10, and is continuously rotated clockwise to cause the ratchet teeth 284 to push the pawls 245 of the slider 24 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The outer cover 28 is rotated counterclockwise to open the container 10, and to cause the ratchet teeth 284 to engage the pawls 245 of the slider 24 as shown in FIG. 9. The outer cover 28 has five ratchet teeth 284, such that a 360 degree clockwise rotation of the outer cover 28 causes the slider 24 to move radially and reciprocate five times, and the piston 22 to move axially and reciprocate five times.

The outer cover 28 is rotated clockwise to close the container 10. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the outer cover 28 is continuously rotated clockwise to cause the ratchet teeth 284 to push the pawls 245 of the slider 24, such that the slider 24 is moved radially and reciprocatingly, and the piston 22 is moved axially and reciprocatingly. The piston 22 is moved to exhaust air from the container 10 to produce a vacuum or approximate vacuum in the container 10. A process for producing a vacuum or approximate vacuum in the container 10 is shown in FIG. 10. The arrows in FIGS. 5 and 6 indicate the air flow from the container 10. Therefore, contents, such as drugs, cosmetics etc., in the container 10 are protected from moisture without a desiccant material. The outer cover 28 is rotated counterclockwise to open the container 10, and to allow air to flow into the container 10 to remove the vacuum in the container 10.

The inner cover 21, the piston 22, the first valve 23, the second valve 23 a, and the slider 24 constitute a piston assembly. The piston assembly may be used to transfer gas such as air or liquid such as water or oil.

The exemplary embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to, and including, the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cap comprising: an inner cover; a piston disposed in the inner cover, and axially movable therein; a slider mounted on the piston, and radially movable to move the piston; and an outer cover receiving the inner cover, the piston, and the slider, and wherein the outer cover is rotatable in a first direction to move the slider radially and reciprocatingly so as to move the piston axially and reciprocatingly.
 2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the piston further comprises: a plug; a sleeve extending from a center of the plug; and two protrusions extend from an outer surface of the sleeve, the two protrusions being opposite to each other; the slider further comprises: a body defining a center, and comprising a front side, a rear side, and two lateral sides; a bore formed in the center of the body, and receiving the sleeve of the piston; two guide slots formed in the front and the rear sides of the body respectively, the two guide slots communicating with the bore, and receiving the protrusions of the piston; and two pawls extend from upper portions of the two lateral sides of the body respectively; the outer cover further comprises: a top wall; and ratchet teeth extending from a periphery of a bottom surface of the top wall, the ratchet teeth being evenly spaced on the periphery of the bottom surface of the top wall; wherein the outer cover is rotatable in the first direction to cause the ratchet teeth to push the pawls of the slider, such that the slider is moved radially and reciprocatingly, and the piston is moved axially and reciprocatingly; and wherein the outer cover is rotatable in a second direction to cause the ratchet teeth to engage the pawls of the slider, such that the slider cannot be moved radially, and the piston cannot be moved axially.
 3. The cap of claim 2, wherein the inner cover further comprises: an outer wall; an inner wall disposed within the outer wall; a shaft tube disposed within the inner wall, the shaft tube comprising: a top opening configured to be closed by an indicator, and wherein the indicator is able to pop up and pop down; and a bottom opening; a top wall closing a top end between the outer wall and the inner wall; a bottom wall closing a bottom end between the inner wall and the shaft tube; and at least one pair of recesses formed in the top wall, the at least one pair of recesses being evenly spaced, and two recesses of each of the pair being opposite to each other; wherein a periphery of the plug of the piston abuts the inner wall of the inner cover; wherein the sleeve of the piston is disposed around the shaft tube of the inner cover, and an inner surface of a bottom of the sleeve abuts an outer surface of the shaft tube of the inner cover; wherein the slider comprises two wings extending from middle portions of the lateral sides of the body respectively, and the two wings being disposed in the two recesses of each of the pair of recesses respectively; and wherein the outer cover comprises a center hole aligned with the top opening of the shaft tube of the inner cover.
 4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the bottom wall of the inner cover comprises a plurality of first vent holes, and a first valve is movably mounted on the bottom wall of the inner cover, the first valve is configured to close the first vent holes by moving; and the plug of the piston comprises a plurality of second vent holes, and the second valve is movably mounted on the plug of the piston, the second valve is configured to close the second vent holes by moving.
 5. The cap of claim 3 further comprising: an air filter disc closing the bottom opening of the shaft tube of the inner cover; and a sealing ring mounted on a bottom surface of the top wall of the inner cover.
 6. A container and cap assembly comprising: a container; and a cap configured to cover the container, the cap comprising an inner cover; a piston disposed in the inner cover, and axially movable therein; a slider mounted on the piston, and radially movable to move the piston; and an outer cover receiving the inner cover, the piston, and the slider; wherein the outer cover is rotatable in a first direction to close the container, and is adapted to be further rotated in the first direction to move the slider radially and reciprocatingly so as to move the piston axially and reciprocatingly, and the piston is moved to exhaust air from the container; and wherein the outer cover is rotatable in a second direction to open the container.
 7. The container and cap assembly of claim 6, wherein the piston further comprises: a plug; a sleeve extending from a center of the plug; and two protrusions extend from an outer surface of the sleeve, the two protrusions being opposite to each other; the slider further comprises: a body defining a center, the body comprising a front side, a rear side, and two lateral sides; a bore formed in the center of the body, and receiving the sleeve of the piston; two guide slots formed in the front and the rear sides of the body respectively, the two guide slots communicating with the bore, and receiving the protrusions of the piston; and two pawls extend from upper portions of the lateral sides of the body respectively; the outer cover further comprises: a top wall; and ratchet teeth extending from a periphery of a bottom surface of the top wall, the ratchet teeth being evenly spaced on the periphery of the bottom surface of the top wall; wherein the outer cover is rotatable in the first direction to cause the ratchet teeth to push the pawls of the slider, such that the slider is moved radially and reciprocatingly, and the piston is moved axially and reciprocatingly; and wherein the outer cover is rotatable in the second direction to cause the ratchet teeth to engage the pawls of the slider, such that the slider cannot be moved radially, and the piston cannot be moved axially.
 8. The container and cap assembly of claim 7, wherein the inner cover further comprises: an outer wall; an inner wall disposed within the outer wall; a shaft tube disposed within the inner wall, the shaft communicating with an interior of the container and comprising: a top opening configured to be closed by an indicator, and wherein the indicator is configure to pop up and pop down according to a preset air pressure in the container; and a bottom opening; a top wall closing a top end between the outer wall and the inner wall; a bottom wall closing a bottom end between the inner wall and the shaft tube; and at least one pair of recesses formed in the top wall, the at least one pair of recesses being evenly spaced, and two recesses of each of the pair being opposite to each other; wherein a periphery of the plug of the piston abuts the inner wall of the inner cover; wherein the sleeve of the piston is disposed around the shaft tube of the inner cover, and an inner surface of a bottom of the sleeve abuts an outer surface of the shaft tube of the inner cover; wherein the slider comprises two wings extending from middle portions of the lateral sides of the body respectively, and the two wings are disposed in the two recesses of each of the pair of recesses respectively; and wherein the outer cover comprise a center hole aligned with the top opening of the shaft tube of the inner cover.
 9. The container and cap assembly of claim 8, wherein the bottom wall of the inner cover comprises a plurality of first vent holes, and a first valve is movably mounted on the bottom wall of the inner cover, the first valve is configured to close the first vent holes by moving; and the plug of the piston comprises a plurality of second vent holes, and the second valve is movably mounted on the plug of the piston, the second valve is configured to close the second vent holes by moving.
 10. The container and cap assembly of claim 8 further comprising: an air filter disc closing the bottom opening of the shaft tube of the inner cover; and a sealing ring mounted on a bottom surface of the top wall of the inner cover for abutting the container.
 11. A piston assembly comprising: an inner cover; a piston disposed in the inner cover, and axially movable therein; and a slider mounted on the piston, the slider being radially movable to move the piston.
 12. The piston assembly of claim 11, wherein the piston further comprises: a plug; a sleeve extending from a center of the plug; and two protrusions extend from an outer surface of the sleeve, the two protrusions being opposite to each other; and the slider further comprises: a body defining a center, the body comprising a front side, a rear side, and two lateral sides; a bore formed in the center of the body, the bore receiving the sleeve of the piston; and two guide slots formed in the front and the rear sides of the body respectively, the two guide slots communicating with the bore, and receiving the protrusions of the piston.
 13. The piston assembly of claim 12, wherein the inner cover further comprises: an outer wall; an inner wall disposed within the outer wall; a shaft tube disposed within the inner wall; a top wall closing a top end between the outer wall and the inner wall; a bottom wall closing a bottom end between the inner wall and the shaft tube; and at least one pair of recesses formed in the top wall, the at least one pair of recesses being evenly spaced, and two recesses of each of the pair being opposite to each other; wherein a periphery of the plug of the piston abuts the inner wall of the inner cover; wherein the sleeve of the piston is disposed around the shaft tube of the inner cover, and an inner surface of a bottom of the sleeve abuts an outer surface of the shaft tube of the inner cover; and wherein the slider comprises two wings extending from middle portions of the lateral sides of the body respectively, and the two wings being disposed in the two recesses of each pair of recesses respectively.
 14. The piston assembly of claim 13, wherein the bottom wall of the inner cover comprises a plurality of first vent holes, and a first valve is movably mounted on the bottom wall of the inner cover, the first valve is configured to close the first vent holes by moving; and the plug of the piston comprises a plurality of second vent holes, and the second valve is movably mounted on the plug of the piston, the second valve is configured to close the second vent holes by moving. 